LONDON – Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, revealed on Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment chemotherapy.
In a video statement released Fridayshe said she had undergone major abdominal surgery in London in January and her condition was initially regarded as non-cancerous.
“The operation was a success. However, tests conducted after the surgery revealed the presence of cancer. Therefore, my medical team has advised me to undergo preventive chemotherapy, which is currently in its early stages,” her statement read.
“It obviously came as a huge shock and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this matter privately for the sake of our young family.”
According to the BBC, Kensington Palace expressed confidence that she would make a full recovery.
“I feel good and am getting stronger every day, focusing on the things that will help me heal – mind, body and spirit,” Kate later added in her speech. She asked for space and privacy while her treatment was accomplished. It was not announced what type of cancer it was or at what stage it was detected.
Buckingham Palace said King Charles III, her father-in-law, was “very proud of Catherine for her courage to speak out as she did.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also released an announcement, saying: “We wish health and healing to Kate and her family and hope that they will be able to do so privately and peacefully.”
After the surgery, Kate remained in the hospital. There was no confirmation at the time what the surgery involved, and Kensington Palace said Kate, 42, hoped the public would respect “her wish for her personal medical details to remain private.” The palace suggested at the time that Kate would only return to public duties after Easter.
The princess has not been seen in public since Christmas 2023, when she was seen going to and attending a service with the wider royal family, including her children and husband, Prince William, heir to the British throne.
Since the news of her surgery, social media has been dominated by an internet frenzy about her health and whereabouts. The palace remained largely silent on the matter, which at times added fuel to the fire.
The obsession peaked after a photograph of Kate Middleton’s ex was published on Mother’s Day – March 10 in the UK. News agencies pulled the photo later that day, issuing a so-called homicide notice, stating it was too heavily redacted. We checked out every detail of the photo, from Kate’s hair, to the kid’s clothes that seemed inconsistent, to the warped shelf in the background.
On March 11, Kensington Palace posted an announcement from Kate on social media, saying that she had edited the photo. “Like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time. I wanted to apologize for the confusion caused by yesterday’s family photo. I hope everyone celebrating had a happy Mother’s Day. C” – we read.
Since then, photos and videos of what seem like Kate have appeared in British tabloids, further fueling conspiracies and chatter. Earlier this week, reports also surfaced that an worker at the hospital where Kate was being treated tried to access her files without permission.
In early February, King Charles III announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and had begun treatment.
